San Diego starts hunt for new golf foreman

Jon Maddern is leaving his job as the chief of San Diego’s golf operations, and if he will miss going to work every day on the bluffs of Torrey Pines, he won’t pine for the paperwork.

“It’s been a heck of two years,” Maddern said yesterday. “It’s been fantastic, but it’s been a heck of a lot of work, too.”

Maddern, 51, last week gave notice that he is leaving to become the superintendent of The Cliffs at Keowee Falls in Salem, S.C. The Keowee layout is part of an eight-course circuit constructed by one real estate development company. The layouts include The Cliffs at High Carolina, Tiger Woods’ first course design in the United States.

“They made me an offer too good to be true,” said Maddern, who added that he and his wife, Beverly, wanted to be nearer to their families in the Midwest and East Coast.

The Michigan native also wanted to get back to the business of maintaining grass each day, rather than dealing with all that comes with the San Diego manager’s job, including budgets, balancing the tee sheet, staging tournaments and preparing the courses each year for a PGA Tour event.

Maddern arrived from Michigan in December 2007 as the assistant to then-golf manager Mark Woodward. A half-year later, only days after the 2008 U.S. Open was completed at Torrey Pines, Woodward left to become CEO of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

Though Maddern was thrust into a position he hadn’t prepared for, he quickly settled in and got to work in several critical areas, including the recovery of the North Course after it served as a hospitality site and parking lot for the U.S. Open. In a remarkable turnaround, the North was ready for the PGA Tour’s Buick Invitational only six months later.

“This is good for him, but sad for us,” said Century Club Executive Director Tom Wilson, the tournament director of the PGA Tour event that was played this year as the Farmers Insurance Open. “He was terrific. Jon was a good big-picture person. He didn’t let the little stuff take away from the big stuff. He was good for us and the city.”

Maddern said he is most proud of the manner in which the Torrey Pines North and South courses have been maintained during his time here, especially for the professional events. In an unprecedented feat, Torrey Pines hosted the U.S. Open, a PGA Tour event and an LPGA Tour tournament in a 19-month span.

“There is the pride the staff took in their work, to see the way things came together for each one of those tournaments,” Maddern said.

What were Maddern’s biggest challenges? He lists the recovery of the North Course, the economic downturn and the continuing water shortage.

“Water will always be an issue,” he said.

Maddern said Balboa Park golf manager Pat Segawa would take over some of his duties in the interim while the city searches for a new golf director. Scott Reese, the assistant director of Park and Recreation, could not be reached for comment.

Golf Fest next week

The annual Golf Fest San Diego will be held March 12-14 at Riverwalk Golf Club in Mission Valley. The show will include representatives from many of the top golf equipment companies, with opportunities to hit clubs on the driving range. There will be free lessons from PGA and LPGA teaching pros. Attendees will receive a free round of golf from American Golf, good at Riverwalk, The Vineyard or Mission Trails. Golf Fest times are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 12 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 13 and 14. Admission is $10, and children 10 and younger are free.

Kia Classic update

The LPGA Tour’s Kia Classic, to be played March 25-28 at La Costa Resort & Spa, is selling tickets at all Walgreens stores in San Diego County. Daily competition tickets for Thursday through Sunday are $20 per person; weekly grounds tickets are $65; weekly clubhouse passes are $125, and practice day tickets (Monday through Wednesday) are $10. Children 15 and younger are free.

The tournament still has openings for volunteers. Those who are interested can go to the tournament Web site, www.lpgalacosta.com, or call tournament coordinator Danielle Genet at (760) 579-7365.